


the struggle after the battle

by blinderror



Category: Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016), Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Soft Damian Wayne, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:08:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23883538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blinderror/pseuds/blinderror
Summary: takes place mostly during apokolips war- better stated. my dark twisted view of what i imagine would happen during the movie but i know won't and i'm glad for it.-basically a struggling raven and an overprotective damian in a apocalyptic world.
Relationships: Raven/Damian Wayne
Comments: 4
Kudos: 74





	the struggle after the battle

**Author's Note:**

> i know i usually write miraculous works but i've been thrown into the dcu fandom and i couldn't help myself :)

Raven didn't know what to do with herself. The scene in front of her was traumatizing. Glass was shattered, walls were torn down, the place was in shambles, but that isn't what had her frozen in place. It was the blood and crippled bodies of her teammates- her friends lying on the ground unmoving. She wasn't sure whether to break down right then and there or call for help. Neither ended up being her option. There was no one to help her they were all dead, and breaking down would only add to how useless she felt. So instead she went in search for a sign- any sign that one of them was at least breathing.

To her dismay there was none. Garfield and Jaime both lied in the crumbled pieces of wall by the living room, Kori had pieces of glasses sticking out of her near the window, and Dick was only a few feet from her in the same condition. She felt weak to her knees. The room was a disaster but her head was more of one. After running through the room at least 3 times she gave up on hope. A pang of guilt struck her chest. _This was her fault. Had she been stronger this wouldn't have happened._ Tremors threatened to take over her body but she held out and walked to the shattered window. _Damian's body isn't in here.._ A sliver of light lit in her and she descended through the window. Damian was certainly one of the stronger Titans maybe he survived. Upon reaching the ground the light had dimmed. His katana was stuck on the ground but Damian was nowhere to be found. She called out to him multiple times. Shouting his name begging for him to respond. Over the years the two grew significantly closer, and although she was scared to admit it. She knew along the way she grew feelings for the young Robin. She felt compelled to find him. _There's hope, he's strong he must've made it out of this alive. Please be okay._ She thought to herself while flying around the city trying to pick up on him, but nothing she couldn't sense him not through her powers or their bond. She eventually exhausted herself. 

By instinct she flew back to the tower. Only to be greeted by the mortifying scene of her dead friends once again. She didn't know who to call or what to do. So she just sat there on the roof watching the sun set on the city that was now falling apart. Darkseid took over. They had lost. She wasn't strong enough.

\----------

Days had gone by and she had put her friends to rest. It was difficult putting them down especially Damian whom she wasn't even sure herself whether or not he was alive. With the passing days she felt a shift in her powers. She was growing weaker. Her father- Trigon was tormenting her. _"Foolish girl. You won't be able to keep me sealed away forever. You're growing weaker by the day and I will soon have my revenge."_ She did her best to not let it get to her but it was hard. Usually she'd have her friends to soothe her whenever he started getting to her, but that wasn't possible anymore. 

Within a week she couldn't sleep anymore. Nightmares of the day shook her to the core every night and she found herself waking in utter terror every time. She wished Damian was with her he could've calmed her down. But he wasn't showing up anywhere and she was starting to expect the worst.

A month after it all started becoming too much. She was falling into unhealthy coping mechanisms every time she'd get hit with a flashback or nightmare. She could barely find it in her to go out and at least try to help the city that was crumbling right in front of her. She knew she needed help but she didn't know where to find it.

\----------

A year. It took a year for her to finally have enough. In that year she had barely slept. Every time she did she'd find herself having a nightmare of that day or sometimes a twisted version where along with watching all her friends die, she'd witness Damian's corpse be thrown into the ocean- forever lost. The nights she'd have those dreams she would waste her little energy searching what she could, of the ocean surrounding the tower but nothing. At first she feared for the nightmare to be true but eventually gave in and believed it. _Everyone was dead, Damian included._

She had grown tremendously weak within that year as well. Her father was almost strong enough to break free and she was powerless to stop him. It was almost too much for her to simply walk. She had enough. Enough of the nightmares, the crippling weight of failing everyone, the loneliness, the fear of her father breaking free, and especially _losing Damian._ She found herself stumbling on the roof of the broken down tower with a broken pipe in her hand. She wanted to see the sun set one last time, reminiscing of the little moments she'd sit up here with Damian watching it before everything went to hell. With the small amount of strength she had, she put the pipe toward her neck- ready to succumb to the ever-nearing darkness, but the sharp pierce never came. Instead she was stopped by a kryptonite-infused Clark.

\----------

**[ raven's pov ]**

At first he said nothing. He simply took the pipe out of my hand and flung it into the air leaving it to fall into the ocean. The realization of what I had come down to sunk in and I broke down. Clark didn't hesitate in putting his arms around me and repeating 'sorry' over and over again. After a while I calmed down and found the will to speak.

"Where were you" I said between sniffles. He told me everything from the fight with Darkseid, the league having fallen under Darkseid, and even Batman being taken prisoner. He explained his actions from a year ago saying he didn't think it would come down to this. I nodded at his word and in return told him the faith to fall upon the Titans, my father trying to break free, my powers weakening, and how I tried to hold out but eventually decided to give in. He acknowledged my words and we sat in silence for another while.

 _"I.. don't know what to do."_ I said as sorrow consumed me all over again. He sighed before speaking.

 _"I think I do.. but we're going to need a portal to take us somewhere. Do you think you have enough energy to do that? "_ He asked, I looked at him curiously then thought if I would be able to do such a thing. In the end I decided to give it a try, and to my surprise I was able to. His portal idea took us to the other side of the world by the mountains where it was freezing. Holding open the portal long enough to pass through it was usually nothing for me, but after everything it had become increasingly difficult. Simply opening the portal left me to collapse on my knees. Clark was quick in picking me up and we passed through the portal. I felt myself falling into the darkness as weakness overtook me, but I did my best to remain conscious until I could see why Clark wanted to come here. It became clear almost instantly. 

_"Have them put their weapons down.. Damian"_ I heard Clark say. I felt like my head was playing tricks but at the brief opening of my eyes I realize it was him. Standing in his league uniform was Damian. The boy I was led to believe had died. At the sight of him my body gave in to weakness. I felt like I was dreaming. I didn't have the strength to open my eyes again and everything started to become muffled. I heard Clark and Damian talking but I didn't understand them, and before I completely blacked out I felt myself in familiar arms with a familiar warmth.

\-----------

I awoke hours later. My cloak had been removed leaving me in only my leotard and leggings, and a warm blanket was placed over me. I felt a familiar presence near me and I turned my head to see Damian looking at me worriedly. We said nothing at first, just locked eyes and stared at the person we both believed to have died. It didn't feel real. He approached me and helped me sit up. 

_"How are you feeling..?"_ He asked, worry present in his voice. " _Weak.. but better than earlier I assume."_ He nodded and looked away from me. Silence fell between us, neither knowing what to say to the other after so long.

 _"Clark told me what happened. With the Titans.. how he found you-"_ his voice trailing off before picking back up. _"You shouldn't have tried that"_ he finished sternly. I found myself looking at the floor reliving the moment in which Clark found me. _"You don't know how hard it was living with myself knowing I failed them. I- They're dead, gone forever and I.. I thought you were gone too.."_ I said softly as the weight of everything fell on me once again. He put his hand on top of mine and spoke. _"You didn't fail them. None of us knew the extremity of what we were up against- you did everything you could, and.. i'm not gone. I- I'm sorry I never went back- I just.. I thought you had died amongst the rest too.. I wouldn't live with myself if I had to have seen your lifeless body."_ His words set my mind on overdrive. " _What about the others.. Dick- he.. he's dead too"_ I stuttered out trying to calm my beating heart. He shook his head, looking at me. _"Knowing the others are dead puts a weight on my chest, yes, but. If you were among them i- i told myself i'd protect you Raven.. I can't live knowing I_ _couldn't"_ I tried to process his words but to no avail. _"Damian.. I-"_ I was cut off by him pulling me to him closely. His chin rested on my hair and I could feel his body shake and he cried. _"Raven.. when I was told the Titans were all dead I hated myself thinking I failed. Just like you thought when you almost took your own life. I- I grew to learn that no matter how hard I tried I couldn't stop what was coming, but that didn't change the burden I carried every day of thinking you were gone for good until Clark arrived here with you in his hands. I had never felt so relieved. Then he told me how you were struggling with your father and how you almost- how I almost truly lost you and I was taken over by fear. Fear that I would've lost you to your own demons. That I could've saved you but didn't because I was fool in never searching for you."_ he said crying into me. His words bringing tears to my own eyes. I knew I felt something for him but it wasn't till I thought I lost him to show just how much I felt- and here he is saying the same about me. I wasn't sure how to react so I just held him tighter and cried with him. Eventually falling into a familiar state of darkness.

When I woke up again I was alone. I made to get up and was greeted by Damian entering the room again. _"I brought you some tea. It's not much but it should you give some strength so you can meditate and heal."_ I nodded and he sat next to me again gently putting the cup in my hands. I took some sips of it letting it the warmth of it fill me. I could faintly feel Damian's inner turmoil and asked him what was wrong. He didn't speak at first seemingly finding the way to word things. _"I.. when I took off your cloak- I felt.. lines across your arms.. are they-" "yeah"_ I answered cutting him off, finishing the last of the tea and putting the cup down. We sat saying nothing and then he gently took my arm pulling up the sleeve. He looked at the cuts sadly. I went to apologize for having him see such a thing but he didn't let me. _"I'm just glad you're here with me right now"_ he said softly pulling me towards him again. I fell into his embrace soaking in all the warmth and letting it wash away my worries.

The world was falling apart but at least we didn't have to face it alone anymore. _We found each other again._


End file.
